PTypes - Self-Confident Vices

PTypes - Personality Types

Self-Confident Vices

Irrational Need
(False Good) Irrational Need to Avoid
(False Bad) Idealized Image
(Oldham, pg. 86) Personality Disorder
Narcissistic

superiority; achievement; recognition of talent; importance identify with people of high rank and status has a grandiose sense of self-importance

success, power, brilliance, beauty, and ideal love are able to visualize themselves as the hero, star, the best in their role, or the most accomplished in their field is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

to be "special" and unique; association with other "special" or high-status people (or institutions) being "ordinary" believe in themselves and in their abilities; have no doubt that they are unique and special and that there is a reason for their being on the planet believe that they are "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with other special or high status people or institutions

to be the object of admiration accept compliments, praise, and admiration gracefully and with self-possession requires excessive admiration

favorable treatment and automatic compliance with their expectations expect others to treat them well at all times has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with their expectations

to use others to achieve their own ends are able to take advantage of the strengths and abilities of other people in order to achieve their goals, and are shrewd in their dealings with others is interpersonally exploitive, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve their own ends

empathizing with others; consideration of the feelings and needs of others have a keen awareness of their thoughts and feelings and their overall inner state of being lacks empathy; is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

to be envied by others; to have what others have are able competitors; they love getting to the top, and they enjoy staying there is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of them

for importance, high status, and prestige are unabashedly open about their aspirations and possibilities shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Self-Confident Vices
Irrational Need (False Good)	Irrational Need to Avoid (False Bad)	Idealized Image (Oldham, pg. 86)	Personality Disorder Narcissistic

superiority; achievement; recognition of talent; importance		identify with people of high rank and status	has a grandiose sense of self-importance
success, power, brilliance, beauty, and ideal love		are able to visualize themselves as the hero, star, the best in their role, or the most accomplished in their field	is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
to be "special" and unique; association with other "special" or high-status people (or institutions)	being "ordinary"	believe in themselves and in their abilities; have no doubt that they are unique and special and that there is a reason for their being on the planet	believe that they are "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with other special or high status people or institutions
to be the object of admiration		accept compliments, praise, and admiration gracefully and with self-possession	requires excessive admiration
favorable treatment and automatic compliance with their expectations		expect others to treat them well at all times	has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with their expectations
to use others to achieve their own ends		are able to take advantage of the strengths and abilities of other people in order to achieve their goals, and are shrewd in their dealings with others	is interpersonally exploitive, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve their own ends
	empathizing with others; consideration of the feelings and needs of others	have a keen awareness of their thoughts and feelings and their overall inner state of being	lacks empathy; is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
to be envied by others; to have what others have		are able competitors; they love getting to the top, and they enjoy staying there	is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of them
for importance, high status, and prestige		are unabashedly open about their aspirations and possibilities	shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

A vice is a firmly held false belief of the value of something. Vices dispose us to value as good or bad things not in our power, things external to our moral character. But it is irrational and prideful to desire, or to desire to avoid, to fear, externals. The irrational needs, or vices, of the Self-Confident type are based on particular false values.

All of the vices are rooted in pride, that firmly held false belief that we can provide ourselves with happiness by obtaining certain external 'goods' (cf. DeYoung, pp. 38-39).

If we are in the habit of making false value-judgments of particular externals, we should learn to bear the things falsely valued as bad, things for which we have an "irrational need to avoid," and forbear the things falsely valued as good, things for which we have an "irrational need." "Bear and Forbear" - Epictetus

Irrational Strategies for Obtaining Happiness

A Brief Theory of Bad Character

Rebecca DeYoung (2009). Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.

John M. Oldham and Lois B. Morris (1995). The New Personality Self-Portrait: Why You Think, Work, Love and Act the Way You Do. New York: Bantam. Oldham and Morris list the key characteristics not of an idealized image, but of a style of normal functioning.

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